During the formation of paper in a papermaking machine, the forming fabric from which the paper is formed tends to become contaminated. There are presently several different methods in use for removing such contaminants. For example, brushes and/or high pressure showers are used in the sheet side of the forming fabric, the intent being to remove deposited contaminants by mechanical shearing action.
Various methods and devices are known for cleaning moving surfaces. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,161,806, 2,633,779, 3,041,833, and 4,556,453 are directed to arrangements for cleaning rollers and screen belts on papermaking machines. None of these references, however, is directed to the removal of contaminants from the forming fabric itself. Similar arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,219 and 4,090,445 for a fuser roller in an electrostatic copy machine and an impression cylinder in a fabric printing machine, respectively.
The cleaning of material on a roll is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,551,601 and 2,648,088. According to the '601 patent, the gelatin film on the copying roll of a duplicating machine is cleaned with an elongated sponge member held in an elongated U-shaped holder, the cleaning apparatus being fluidly connected to a liquid reservoir. The '088 patent describes the cleaning of an endless waterproof blanket for printing textiles by applying solvent to bristles on a cylindrical roller, which bristles are then contacted with the textile printing blanket.